yourGstaad

Residence Permit
Foreign nationals who want to permanently live and work in Switzerland need a residence permit as well as a work permit. This also applies to citizens of EU/EFTA member states. Usually it is the future employer who submits the applications for these two permits to the municipal office (“Gemeinde”). The residence permit is an official document which is granted by the federal as well as the cantonese authorities and issued by the municipality in which you live. The residence permit states how long you are permitted to live in Switzerland and whether you are allowed to work or bring your family. Holding a residence permit makes you a resident of the respective community and municipality, but not a citizen.

Type B and Type L
The residence permit type B is the most commonly issued residence permit and also includes a work permit. As an EU citizen you will have to renew it after five years and as a non-EU citizen after one year. If you want to work in Gstaad for less than 12 months (e.g. for an internship), you will be issued a residence permit type L for short term residents. It may be converted into a residence permit type B upon extension of the work contract.

More Information
For more information on the topics of residence and work permits please consult the website of the migratory service of the canton of Berne and the State Secretariat for Migration SEM.

Registration Procedure for Nationals of EU-/EFTA Member States
Nationals of EU-27/EFTA member states whose period of gainful employment with a Swiss employer is shorter than 90 days per year are registered via an online procedure by their employers before they start working. If an individual is to be employed for more than three months per year, he or she has to register at the so-called „Fremdenkontrolle“ (alien registration office) of the commune of residence within a fortnight of relocating to Switzerland. In the course of this registration the residence permit as well as the work permit have to be applied for. This is, however, often taken care of by the employer, as mentioned above.

It is mandatory for foreign employees relocating to Switzerland and having been given a permanent work contract to appear in person at the “Fremdenkontrolle” (see above) in their commune of residence.

Registration Procedure For non-EU-/EFTA Citizens
For non-EU-/EFTA citizens the employer is legally obliged to submit a request for hiring the individual at the “Volkswirtschaftsdirektion des Kantons Bern (BECO)”, before employment can be taken up. Citizens of non-EU-/EFTA states have to register at the so-called „Fremdenkontrolle“ (see above) of the commune of residence within a fortnight of relocating to Switzerland.

Registering at the New Place of Residence
Within a fortnight of arrival and before starting gainful employment new residents of Switzerland as well as Swiss citizens have to personally register at the residents’ registration office („Einwohnerkontrolle“) of the local government. Usually you are registered for settlement. In exceptional cases it is also possible to register as a weekly commuter. For the commune of Saanen, which Gstaad is a part of, it is best to inquire at the municipal administration of Saanen Gemeindeverwaltung Saanen.

In order to register please bring the following documents for yourself and each member of your family:

Questionnaire for foreigners
Employment contract
Passport or ID – card
Foreigner’s ID (if already issued)
Current passport-sized photograph (if you do not have a foreigner’s ID)
Health insurance cards
Marriage certificate, if married
Childrens’ birth certificates
Rental contract or proof of property

How to Get Around in Switzerland
Registering Your Car
Whether you bring your car from abroad or buy one in Switzerland, in either case it has to be presented to the regional or local so-called Motorfahrzeugkontrolle (automobile service). In the Bernese Oberland it is situated in Thun.

Driving Licenses
In the first 12 months of your stay you may continue driving with your national driver’s license. Afterwards you have to have your foreign license converted into a Swiss driver’s license. In order to do so you are required to submit the pertinent application, an ID card or a passport, your residence permit, your original foreign license, two current passport-sized photos as well as a certificate from a registered optician that you have passed the eye test. On the website of the Bernese cantonal road traffic office you will find all the information on the topic of driver’s licenses.

The Toll Sticker for Swiss Highways
If you want to use Swiss highways you need to buy the highway tax sticker. At 40 Swiss Francs per year (Jan 1 till Dec 31) it is available at the customs offices at the border, at all post offices, at gas stations and garages as well as at the offices of Touring Club Suisse (TCS) and the cantonal road traffic offices. The sticker has to be firmly attached to the inside of the wind shield and well visible.

Busses and Trains in Switzerland
Switzerland offers an exemplary public transport network, in which even the most remote village can be reached by train, „Postauto“ (= bus) or boat. If you like going places, getting yourself a so-called GA (“Generalabonnement”) might well be worth it, as it enables you to use the trains and busses almost everywhere in Switzerland without having to buy a ticket. If you are not planning on travelling quite as much, you might want to think about buying the “Halbtax” (= Halbpreis-Abonnement), which entitles you to a 50% discount on the respective fares. GA and Halbtax are also valid on the great majority of bus routes in Switzerland. A full overview of all the options offered by the Swiss Railroad Company can be found here.

Health Insurance in Switzerland
All residents of Switzerland are legally obligated to take out health insurance. There are many different health insurance companies to choose from. None of them can refuse you basic insurance with minimum coverage. Beyond minimum coverage, however, every health insurance company offers optional additional modules ranging from alternative medicine to dentures.

You are basically entitled to see a doctor of your choice. Depending on your health insurer and your plan you might be allowed to freely choose a hospital in your canton of residence or even beyond. It is best to ask your health insurer. Dental treatments are usually not covered by standard Swiss health insurance. Many people take out complementary private dental insurance. As regards medication, you will receive your meds either directly at the doctor’s office or from a pharmacy against a prescription. This will depend on your doctor.

The health insurance premiums are usually paid by you directly. They are not deducted from your salary and transferred by your employer as is the case with other insurance premiums. The monthly premium varies depending on many factors, e.g. the amount of excess you choose. Many health insurance companies also offer special policies such as the so-called “family doctor policy”, which helps you save on your premium. Aside from shopping around for the best deal (e.g. via Comparis, an online platform) it is often also helpful to ask your employer or colleagues for a recommendation.

Salaries and Social Insurance in the Swiss Hotel and Restaurant Industries
The Swiss Hotel and Restaurant Industry is subject to the so-called L-GAV, a collective bargaining agreement which regulates the rights and obligations of employers and employees in the Swiss hotels and restaurants on a federal level.

Social Insurance Contributions in Switzerland
The following compulsory contributions to the social insurance system are deducted from everyone’s gross salary:

Old age and survivor’s insurance (“Alters- und Hinterlassenenversicherung” – AHV)
Disability insurance (“Invalidenversicherung” – IV)
Income compensation insurance (“Erwerbsersatzversicherung” – EO)
Unemployment insurance (“Arbeitslosenversicherung” – ALV)
Professional pension fund (“Berufliche Vorsorge” – BVG), only if the annual salary is above the threshold
Insurance for non-work related accidents (“Nichtbetriebsunfallversicherung” -NBU)
Overall between 13 and 20% of your gross salary is paid into the social insurance system, with your employer paying almost the exact same amount in contributions for you, the exception being the accident insurance. Furthermore withholding tax is deducted directly from the salaries of employees with residence permits; and so are the health insurance premiums in rare cases.

Taxes in Switzerland: Withholding Tax
As a foreign resident with residence permit type B you have to pay withholding tax („Quellensteuer“). It is based on your gross salary and withheld from your salary directly at the source. Your employer pays it to the authorities. The amount varies by canton and can change once a year. You can claim extraordinary personal expenses through the annual tax return. With this online tax calculator you can easily find out what your withholding tax will be.
The Swiss Federal Tax Administration provides all the relevant information about all aspects of taxation.

Four Official Languages in Switzerland
In Switzerland there are four national languages: German/Swiss German, French (in Western Switzerland), Italian (in the canton of Ticino) and Rhaeto-Romanic (in the canton of Grisons).

Swiss German takes many forms including Swiss High German and a great number of local dialects. In Gstaad, for example, the locals speak „Berndütsch“, as is common in the Bernese Oberland. When speaking with foreigners many Swiss automatically switch to Swiss High German, so that they are not at all hard to understand.

In order to be able to live in Gstaad and communicate with locals and guests alike you should have a good command of German. In addition you should also speak English and French.

Your Apartment in Switzerland
In Switzerland apartments for rent are usually equipped with a kitchen, so you do not need to bring yours or buy one. Washing machines and occasionally also dryers are usually made available by the landlord, especially in apartment buildings, where all tenants are free to use them.
Upon concluding a rental contract there usually is a security deposit (against damage) amounting to one or two months’ rent to be paid by the tenant. In addition to the rent the tenant is responsible for utilities and heating costs and possibly also a fee for renting a parking space.

All the information about renting living space in Switzerland can be found at the Tenants’ Association of the Canton of Berne (Mieterverband Kanton Bern). The website of the Federal Authority for Housing (Bundesamt für Wohnungswesen) offers information for tenants.

Radio and TV in Switzerland
Receiving the national radio and TV programs DRS and SF is subject to a fee which is paid via Serafe. You have to register your TV and radio with them. If you only watch TV or listen to the radio on your computer, you have to register this device as well. In all of Switzerland you can also tune in to private TV stations or cable TV, which is usually included in the rent. Since 2016 only digital technology is used anymore to receive TV programs, so the older, analog sets do not work anymore.

Because of the four national languages there are a few TV stations broadcasting only in French or Italian. Programs in Rhaeto-Roman are offered by the German speaking TV stations. Here you will find all the TV stations whose programs you can receive in Switzerland, depending on their area of coverage.

Electricity and Voltage in Switzerland
With regards to your electric power supply a voltage of 220-230 Volts and a frequency of 50 Hz is most commonly used in Switzerland. All outlets are designed for either the European universal plug type C (2 pins) or for the three-pin-plug type J for larger devices. So make sure you have the right plug adapters!

Telephone and Internet in Switzerland
You are free to choose a provider for your land line phone, your internet connection and your cell phone. On the internet you will find various platforms to help you find the scheme that best suits your needs and budget, e.g. through Comparis.